If you’ve searched for something on Yahoo! today, you may have noticed a new look and feel on our search results pages. Today, we’re rolling out a new design for Yahoo! Search, covering Web and vertical intents like images, local, news etc. in the U.S., that puts your search results front and center. You can learn more about the new design for Yahoo! Search here.

Stay tuned over the coming weeks and months as we work to bring together the utility of search with the richness of our content and the beauty of a design that is so Yahoo!. We really look forward to hearing all your feedback!

Consuming news and information on the go has become the norm — whether waiting for a morning coffee or commuting home from work, content discovery is an insatiable daily habit. Our mobile phones have opened up a window to the world, with the latest news, sports updates, and entertainment coverage right there in our pockets. Because consuming content is such a core part of our everyday lives, today we’re launching our new Yahoo! mobile app for iPhone. Beautifully designed with smaller screens in mind, the new Yahoo! is all about delivering the best of the web — right on your phone.

Story Summaries on The New Yahoo! App on iPhone

The new Yahoo! mobile app is also smarter, using Summly’s natural-language algorithms and machine learning to deliver quick story summaries. We acquired Summly less than a month ago, and we’re thrilled to introduce this game-changing technology in our first mobile application. And, with the immersive imagery of our virtually endless newsfeed, the new Yahoo! app has both great technology and beautiful design front and center. Because searching for great content is also core to the Yahoo! experience, we’ve also improved the search experience with better video and image search.

Want to stay on top of breaking business news or even the latest in the world of science? Just select the types of stories you’re interested in. Within each article, you can easily select more of the topics you’d like to see, and less of those you don’t. When you’re signed into Yahoo!, the choices you make are saved across screens. The more you use Yahoo!, the more relevant and interesting the experience becomes — on mobile and desktop.

The Yahoo! app for iPhone and iPod Touch is currently available to our users in the U.S., please try it out and let us know what you think. This is just the beginning of the new, more mobile Yahoo!, so stay tuned for more!

Today, we’re making it easier than ever to find and share photos on the web and mobile devices. Using Yahoo! Image Search, you can now easily find photos from Flickr that are available for re-use or re-posting under Creative Commons terms. (To learn more about Flickr’s Creative Commons rules and attribution policies, please click here.)

Tens of millions of photos are now yours to search and share, courtesy of all the amazing photographers in the Flickr community.

Here’s how it works:

Go to Yahoo! Image Search either on the web, your tablet or mobile phone. Search for any query.

If you’re looking for a photo you can reuse, make sure you select the “Labeled for Reuse” filter on the left rail to only see the photos that you can reuse.

Hover over the thumbnail to see any details about the photo, including the photographer’s name.

Click on any thumbnail and you can view the full image. To see the specific Creative Commons license terms for the image, just click the “Attribution” link. And if you want to see more photos by that specific photographer, just click the “i” and you can see the rest of their photostream on Flickr.

And this feature is available in Yahoo! Image Search across web and mobile devices. Check it out and let us know what you think!

With less than a week to go until Christmas, come to Yahoo! Search to find quick answers, and inspiring ideas for all your holiday needs.

We’ve been busy in the kitchen, bringing you inspiring and creative ideas for Christmas treats and essentials. Search for [Christmas cookies] to find plenty of handy recipes, along with pictures, reviews and ingredients right at your fingertips. Try [Christmas side dishes] and [Christmas desserts] to help make your holiday meal something everyone will remember.

With dinner (and dessert!) taken care of, how about some ideas for last minute decorations? Search for [Christmas tree] to reveal imaginative ways to help make this seasonal centerpiece shine. Try searching [Christmas wreaths], [Christmas decorations], and [Christmas flowers] for other inspiring ways to take home decor to a whole new level. If you’re looking for things to occupy the little ones when they are out school, search for [Christmas crafts] to discover some charming projects to keep them occupied.

If you still haven’t gotten round to finishing your Christmas shopping, no need to panic. Search for [hot Christmas toys] to find those last-minute must-have gifts. You can also search for [Christmas gift ideas] to help you find something for that one family member who is the hardest to buy for.

And what about New Years? Well, there’s always [detox recipes] for those looking to recover from all of that indulgent holiday eating. And for those with a more immediate need? What about [how to cure a hangover]?

How did Thanksgiving come around so quickly? With the election just finishing up late last week, you could be excused for being a little behind on your holiday planning.

But not to worry, Yahoo! Search has been hard at work on another collection of rich content to get you inspired and organized for this year’s Turkey Day celebration. Whether you are looking for inspiration in the kitchen, ways to keep the family amused, or simply want to maximize your football watching time, we have plenty of rich content to help you.

A large part of the day will be focused on dinner, and we’ve got plenty of help for you here. Simply search for [Thanksgiving menu] in Yahoo! Search and it will help you decide whether you want to keep the menu traditional or move things in a different direction. Tired of the same old mashed potatoes? [Thanksgiving side dishes] offers some mouth-watering ideas to give your menu a twist.

For many of us, Thanksgiving means more time with the kids, grandkids, or nieces and nephews. [Thanksgiving crafts] will help make sure you’ve always got something up your sleeve to keep the young ones amused (and out of the kitchen while you’re trying to get dinner finished!)

What about after the table is cleared and the dishes done? For those of you looking for some quality Thanksgiving football action, search for [Thanksgiving football schedule] to see who is playing.

From food to decorating to football, Yahoo! Search gives you everything you need to plan and enjoy a fabulous Thanksgiving holiday this year.

It’s hard to believe that four years have passed since Barack Obama went toe-to-toe with John McCain for the White House – and yet, here we again.

As always, there are plenty of eyes on the big prize as President Obama squares off against Governor Mitt Romney for the top job. Yahoo! Search is doing its bit to make sure the information you want for all your election needs is right at your fingertips with a suite of helpful Direct Displays.

Interested in what the pollsters are saying? The Polls Direct Display will help you out. Search for [2012 Presidential Polls] and you can see the latest national poll numbers.

Search for [swing state polls] to see how the all-important swing states are trending…

Get the latest on your local Senate race. Search for your specific state result like this: [Nebraska Senate Race 2012].

You’ll also be able to get details on key propositions, issues, and referenda using the Propositions Direct Display. Search for the state proposition number. For instance, [Colorado Amendment 64].

That’s not all – on November 6th, you’ll also be able to get results for presidential, congressional, and gubernatorial races as they come in. For instance, you can search for your state’s local U.S. House of Representatives results by searching for [New York U.S. House Results] and get results in real-time.

With Yahoo! Search you can get involved, stay informed and see how the political landscape is looking. From district to state to national issues, we’ve got you covered.

Today, the Yahoo! BOSS team is thrilled to announce BOSS Geo, new additions to our Search API that’s designed to help foster innovation in the search industry. BOSS Geo, comprised of two popular services – PlaceFinder and PlaceSpotter – now offers powerful, new geo services to BOSS developers.

Geo is increasingly important in today’s always-on, mobile world and adding features like these have been among the most requested we’ve received from our developers. With mobile devices becoming more pervasive, users everywhere want to be able to quickly pull up relevant geo information like maps or addresses. By adding PlaceFinder and PlaceSpotter to BOSS, we’re arming developers with rich new tools for driving more valuable and personalized interactions with their users.

PlaceFinder – Geocoding made simple
PlaceFinder is a geocoder (and reverse geocoder) service. The service helps developers convert an address into a latitude/longitude and alternatively, if you provide a latitude/longitude it can resolve it to an address. Whether you are building a check-in service or want to show an address on a map, we’ve got you covered. PlaceFinder already powers several popular applications like foursquare. which uses it to power check-ins on their mobile application. BOSS PlaceFinder offers tiered pricing and one simple monthly bill.

PlaceSpotter – Adding location awareness to your content
The PlaceSpotter API (formerly known as PlaceMaker) allows developers to take a piece of content, pull rich information about the locations mentioned and provide meaning to those locations. A news article is no longer just text but has rich, meaningful geographical information associated with it. For instance, the next time your users are reading a review of a cool new coffee shop in the Mission neighborhood in San Francisco, they can discover another article about a hip new bakery in the same neighborhood. Learn more on the new PlaceSpotter service.

Using the new services
If you are a current BOSS developer, you are all set to go. Simply review the documentation and start using the service with your existing key. If you are a new developer, you can sign up for BOSS by creating a key, and adding a payment option like a credit card or PayPal.

YQL tables for development
If you are looking to continue experimenting with the standalone PlaceFinder and PlaceMaker services, we are excited to continue supporting you through our YQL tables. These tables will be limited to 2,000 queries per day and are meant for non-commercial usage. We intend to shut down the current free versions of PlaceFinder and PlaceMaker on November 17, 2012.

BOSS, today
We started BOSS to provide developers access to search technology, something that is tremendously hard to do well. We are now taking the same model and extending it to other technologies.Because of the flexibility of the BOSS model, it’s used by a wide variety of institutions – everyone from non-profits, to Fortune 500 companies to small business owners. Today, BOSS powers tens of millions of queries for thousands of developer applications.

Thanks to all our developers out there who continue to inspire us with the amazing things they’re doing with BOSS everyday. And, don’t be shy—let us know what you’d like to see more of from us!

Back in May, we launchedYahoo! Axis – a visually rich new search browser that seamlessly connects search and browse experiences across your desktop and iOS devices. The response that we got was enthusiastic – you can check out some of the reviews here and here.

But, we’re most excited about all the comments, questions and feature ideas that we got from you all – our users. Last night, we rolled out an update to Yahoo! Axis on the desktop and iOS that now offers enhanced performance and the most frequently requested user features.

Desktop Browser Plug-in Updates:

Close Option: Now, you can close Axis with a simple click on any web page so that it never interferes with your browsing experience. By clicking on the ‘X,’ Axis will disappear on the page. To make Axis visible again, simply reload the page or navigate to a new page.

New features for Yahoo! Axis iOS include:

Opening links in new tabs: Many of you wanted to be able to open a web link in a new tab. Now, whenever you press down on a link, Axis gives you the option of opening the link in your current tab, in a new tab or simply copying the link. Navigating web sites just got a lot smoother in Axis.

Private Browsing Mode: Yahoo! Axis now offers a more robust private browsing mode on iPhone and iPad. When activated, Axis will not store cookies or web site browsing so you can keep your Axis experiences private. With private browsing mode, you also have the option to keep all your tabs open or close all tabs when you enter or exit the mode. Bookmarks created during ‘Private Browsing Mode’ will be preserved and will be shown along with the regular bookmarks, across all devices.

Secured Site Lock: Easily identify secured web sites before entering in personal information, such as login or credit card information. With the new lock graphic, which is displayed in the Axis title bar on secured web sites, you’ll be able to more easily keep your information safe and share it only with trusted sites.

Increased Security: Axis data, such as search history, browsing history and bookmarks, is now encrypted locally to keep you and your personal information even more secure.

Additionally, we’re always focused on ensuring that Axis performs quickly and seamlessly so we’ve released several enhancements to improve the overall performance across iOS and desktop. Check out the new version of Axis today and let us know what you think!

The Summer Games officially kick off today! Yes, four long years since the spectacular Summer Games of Beijing have all but elapsed, and it’s time to sit back and soak up the wonder of the Games in London.

But where to start? So many athletes … how did my favorites do? So many sports you only follow every four years…what exactly are the rules to archery, again? And so many events…when exactly is the men’s 200 meter backstroke race taking place? These are all questions that Yahoo! Search can help you answer with our latest Direct Display offering, available on your desktop, tablet, or smart phone.

If you are all about the athletes, then you can easily check out the Profile Direct Displays that will give you instant stats on all the athletes you want to know about. In addition to biographical data, you’ll be able to see if they have placed for a medal or broken a record. Just try searching for your favorite athlete’s name.

You can even see how your favorite athlete did across their events by using the Athlete Results Direct Display. Just search for Usain Bolt Results.

Are you a big fan of swimming and want to know when the important races are taking place? Using the Schedule Direct Display you can get the information you need at a glance. Just try searching for Swimming Schedule.

As the Games get going, check out our Medal Count Direct Display to see who’s leading there.

New to an event and looking to get a handle on the jargon and rules? Use the Sports Fact Direct Display to get the info you need to get yourself up to speed.

If it’s still too early for you to get excited about the upcoming Games, you might like to take a look at some of the most memorable moments of past Games using our Memorable Moments Direct Display. Just search for memorable moments and scroll through the slideshow.

And that’s not all! There are plenty more Direct Displays out there to help you get the answers you need when you need them. From national anthems to individual country profiles, from team rosters to information on all the spectacular venues you’ll see in the UK this year – Yahoo! Search has got it all covered!

School is out, temperatures have risen, and the pool is officially open. Summer is in full swing and Yahoo! Search has developed helpful tools so you can make the most of your favorite summer activities—whether you’re searching on your desktop, tablet or mobile phone.

For those of you with a green thumb, Yahoo! Search’s new Gardening Direct Display will provide you with the links to information and tips you need to create a beautiful garden and become the envy of your neighbors. Search for “how to grow tomatoes”, “pruning roses”, or “planting zucchini” and you’ll immediately get links to plant information, growing tips, and more.

Planning a barbeque or picnic this summer? Easily discover the best summer recipes with Yahoo! Recipe Search that finds sources for the most popular recipes just for you. Browse through images of the best and highest rated recipes from top culinary sources so that you can spend less time looking for new recipes and more time enjoying your culinary creations with family and friends.

With our nation’s birthday right around the corner, we want to make sure you are all set to celebrate and know where to see the best firework displays in your area.

Yahoo! Search also keeps you up to date all of summer’s biggest games with our new Sporting Events Direct Display. Whether it’s Wimbledon, Euro 2012, or the Tour de France that has you hooked, Yahoo! Search provides the latest event information such as recent scores, upcoming games and latest stats. Even if you can’t catch all the games, Yahoo! Search makes sure you’re always in the know.

Of course, you’re probably getting excited for the upcoming Summer Olympics. Don’t worry – we’ve got that covered too! We’ll tell you more in the coming weeks about the exciting content and tools Yahoo! has developed for this very special occasion.

With the World’s Most Recent and High Quality Photography from Getty Images

Searching for images and video on the Web should be the most visually stunning experience possible. After all, sometimes a photo or video can tell a story better than words.

Today, we are taking Yahoo! Image Search and Video Search to an eye-catching new level. Through an extension of our partnership with Getty Images and some reengineering (and redesigning) of our multimedia search experiences, we are delivering a more timely experience, supported by the most recent, and often never-seen-before content.

That’s right, thanks to Getty Images, Yahoo! Image Search will have access to some of the highest quality digital images on the planet. And these are not just any photos, they are the crème-de-la-crème, from the collection of more than 20,000 new Getty Images added every day by Getty Images’ award-winning network of photographers. Of course we also help people find top quality images of the very latest headline news, sports and entertainment events within minutes of being taken.

With this amazing influx of new content, we thought it was only fitting to juice up the entire experience. So we’ve introduced awesome new features to help people take a closer look at the images and videos they want.

Thumbnail Viewing Experience –Users can now get a fantastic thumbnail viewing experience of images and videos. The new search results page sports a neatly tiled look, with each image and video squarely sized, then becoming larger when you hover over it.

A New Video Search Results Page, with preview on hover and continuous scroll

The new Video Search results page introduces continuous scroll, and each video equally sized, then becoming larger and playing the preview when you hover over it.

High Quality Badge & Latest Filter – We have introduced two prominent filters on the left rail to help you find the highest quality and most recent images. For images, the HQ badge identifies photos with at least 2 megapixels and a 1024 x 768 aspect ratio. For Yahoo! HQ videos, we use adaptive streaming technology to optimize your viewing experience by continuously adjusting the quality of the streamed Yahoo! hosted video to match the capabilities of your network and device. The Latest filter allows you to discover the most recent photos and videos available on the Web, so you can always keep up to date.

Search While You Watch – For those of us interested in a lot of different topics, we now have a “search while you watch” option, to search for a video without going back to the search results page. For users who want to look at interesting video search topics, clearing of the search query on the full image page now shows recommended & trending topics to provide them with an experience of continuous discovery.

Full Screen Viewing – Since we have built on the power of the HTML5 browser, we’re now providing a full screen option and cross-device support to help you discover the content you are looking for more easily.

Now more than ever, it’s easier to discover the images and video you are looking for on Yahoo!. We could not be more excited about these enhancements, and so is the Getty Images team (check out their post). Give us a try next time you want to find top quality images and video.

Search is really important—it touches our users more than 1 billion times per day. From helping users search and browse topics of interest, to seeing what’s going on in the world, to getting every day things done—search is at the center of it all. At Yahoo!, our vision has been devoted to delivering answers, not links. Over the past 18 months we have been focused on just that; innovating the user experience, creating new content experiences, surfacing a wide array of structured content, optimizing for mobile, and delivering rich answers instantly at your fingertips. Today I’m pleased to announce the next evolution in that strategy.

Over the last couple of years, there has been an ongoing shift in computing usage patterns as people increasingly spend more time on mobile devices. Some users are even spending more time searching and browsing the web on their phones and tablets than ever before. This shift has led to the need to rethink everything – from the most basic conventions of how a user searches the web, to how content and results are presented, to accessing that content across multiple devices. With a mobile-first focus, we set out to completely re-think and re-design how users search and browse the web.

In a blog post a few months back, I wrote about why Yahoo! Search is ready to fight, touching on our focus to innovate on the user experience and build the best technology platforms that leverage the latest and greatest in open source technologies. I talked about what to expect over the next 18 months – a search experience that shifted from a destination to a companion, from more links to better information, from fragmented devices to seamless connectivity. I’m pleased to present our first major step in that direction.

Meet Yahoo! Axis
Yahoo! Axis is a completely new way to search and browse the web. By supercharging the browser with a visually rich search experience and seamlessly connecting that experience across all of your devices, we are delivering an experience that will change the game. In its simplest form, Axis is a mobile browser available for iPhone and iPad, and a desktop plugin available for your favorite HTML5-enabled browser (IE, Firefox, Chrome, Safari) that removes the friction from getting you to the content you want.

Yahoo! Axis is available on iPhone and iPad, and desktop browser.

Yahoo! Axis provides a seamless experience across devices

A New Mobile Browser
On the iPad and iPhone, we built a fully featured mobile browser that integrates the search experience directly into the app. No matter what page you’re on or what you’re doing, you can easily reveal your search results or search for something new – without ever having to leave the page. We are also moving away from the plain ten blue links to give you a richer, more visual search experience by surfacing the page previews of results instantly as you type, letting you see the page before ever clicking on it. Through our combined search and URL box, you will instantly start seeing the page previews of results and sites as you type, whether you’re researching how to train for the next triathlon or simply just trying to get to Twitter. We decided to remove all the noise so you can focus on what you really want.

That’s not all. You can also search for images and enjoy a wholly new bookmarking experience that includes page previews of all your sites. We’ve also added useful features like Pinterest integration and sharing, and made using tabs even easier.

Sleek design across iPad and iPhone devices

A New Kind of Search
On the desktop, we built a browser plug-in that works with all of your favorite HTML5-enabled browsers (IE, Firefox, Chrome, Safari) that delivers that same visually rich companion search experience. Axis on the desktop is a small search box that sits in the lower left corner of your browser window that goes with you where you go. Simply start typing into it and it expands into a visually rich and powerful search experience providing the same visually stunning page previews, instant answers, and rich images. With Axis on desktop, you get all the benefits of this new search and experience, while still using your existing browser. Download it today for your favorite browser, and check it out.

Yahoo! Axis available on the desktop across a variety of operating systems

A Personalized & Seamless Experience
One more thing, we decided to make it easy to connect all of your devices together. With Axis, simply start browsing on one device and seamlessly continue onto another. You can access a site you bookmarked from your iPhone on your iPad or Desktop. You can go to your own personalized home page, which can be customized to display your favorite sites or articles, no matter where you are or what device you’re on – it always is with you. With Axis, you no longer need to suffer from a fragmented experience – we wanted your data to be about you, not your device.

Axis is the only mobile browser that connects with any major desktop browser. You can move seamlessly from your iPhone to your iPad and always pick up where you left off. Just because you use more than one device doesn’t mean you should have to start over every time you switch devices.

Take your Yahoo! Axis homepage from device to device

Changing the Game
Axis is the first of its kind to challenge the status quo of the typical search and browse experience; a results page, ten blue links, clicking back and forth between links and the results page, the need to start over when you move to another device. With Axis, never again will you have to stop what you are doing to enter a search and go to a search results page—search is now transformed into a true companion, not a destination. You are no longer forced to dive into a sea of blue text links, now just enjoy visually rich page previews of results that will help you get to your destination effortlessly. You no longer need to start over when moving to a different device, now just simply pick up any other device and seamlessly continue what you were doing with no effort.

Axis is the first time the search experience evolves from a destination to a companion. It’s the first search experience to provide visually rich page previews of results instantly as you type. It’s the first mobile browser that connects with any major desktop browser. Axis is the first browser to really change the game.

With the introduction of Yahoo! Axis, we are stepping outside the box to give the world another option – a new, different and exciting way to explore your interests and the web. Axis offers a fundamentally new and dramatically different experience that we think will change the game. Starting today, search and browsing will never be the same and we’re excited to offer you a better way. Think of this as a sneak peek of what’s to come; we’re planning for Yahoo! Axis in more markets, on mobile devices, and with more killer features in the coming future. Try it out – we’d love to hear from you.

Understanding a person’s intent when searching on the web is critical to the quality of search results offered and at Yahoo! Search, the science team is constantly working to refine our technology and provide people with more relevant answers, not links, to their search query.

Recently, Yahoo! Search scientists built a new search platform from the ground up with machine learning technology that improves Yahoo!’s vertical intent triggering system and, as a result, our ability to better anticipate the needs of the individual user as he or she searches online. With this new platform, our search algorithm has the ability to adapt to what users are really interested in, by continuously monitoring how they engage with the search results. The system then continuously and automatically improves itself to provide the most engaging web search experience.

This technology was recently launched for news and movie search queries, two categories that tested extremely well with the technology. For example, with breaking news search terms constantly changing, humans can’t instantly track which queries are now breaking news stories. The intended result for a user can change for the same search query on a daily or even hourly basis. The technology can determine what the users are looking for and bring it to the top. And the key results that may have been at the top this morning, can be moved to the middle of the search results page at the end of day if user behavior determines other content is now more relevant.

Based on the positive feedback we’ve received in testing this platform for news and movie searches, we plan to roll out this new technology to support shopping, local, travel and mobile searches in the coming months, as well as other experiences across the Yahoo! network.

Searches this week on Yahoo! for “March Madness brackets” are up 320% and searches for “March Madness” are up 200%. When tracking your favorite team and keeping up with your tournament bracket, you can turn to Yahoo! for your search needs. More than a thousand NCAA March Madness related searches will trigger a module on top of the Yahoo! search results page with real-time stats on the tournament, with scores, schedules, rankings and news.

Until the games begin, you will see the following “Tournament Pick’em” display on top of the results page for all general NCCA March Madness searches.

Once the tournament begins, all general march madness searches will provide the latest scores and stats. During the bulk of the tournament, four scores will appear at once. When the early games are completed, they are sent to the “back of the line” in the module and the closest upcoming game (in accordance to the tip-off time) appears on top of the search results. Here is an example of how it will look like:

You can also search for your favorite college basketball team in the tournament and see the last game score and upcoming games (when dates are available). For example, when searching for the latest news on Harvard’s entry into the bracket, you will see a search result display highlighting the latest on this team. The best way to trigger the module is to search for the college name plus basketball (eg Harvard basketball).

Be sure to check out what we are doing across Yahoo! on Yodel Anecdotal. Enjoy the madness!

To say that mobile is the direction users are going in is an understatement. According to Bernstein Research, mobile queries will eclipse PC query volume in 2015. Earlier this week at SMX West, I presented how Yahoo! Search is using mobile landing pages to deliver on its vision of “Answers, Not Links” and provide a compelling experience on mobile. Here are some key points from my presentation during the panel, “Creating Conversation Friendly Mobile Landing Pages”:

Given that Yahoo! operates #1-#3 properties in 20+ segments, we want to bubble up and re-circulate premium content in response to search queries.

We also believe at Y! Search that 50% of search queries have an “answer” and the other half are tail queries with blue links in responses.

We know the most likely intent of the user. We also have search history as context, and on mobile additional elements like location, form factor and device browser, so we can customize the experience for the user.

Based on these fundamental design principles and constraints/guidelines, mobile web experiences that we have built for Yahoo! Search, do the following:

Provide a great “answer” for top intents, such as entertainment and sports

Take into account explicit or implicit local intent, which is the case for over 50% of mobile queries

For example, if you searched for the Academy Awards before the winners were announced, the top search result was a list of the nominees. Then, as the awards were being announced, the mobile page was updated in real time to see the winners. We know that most likely, this is the information people are looking for.

For the sports fan, if you’re searching for a team, you’re most likely looking for the previous game score, the next game date/time, or the overall status of the team. Understanding the content for that query helps deliver the right thing in one screen, which is key for mobile. For every additional click you ask someone to make, 50 percent of users don’t click — they just leave. So the less you ask them to do, the better.

On the Yahoo! Search app canvas, we can also get location per session and deliver “NearMe Now” buttons which provide one-touch local destinations such as coffee shops, restaurants, movies and ATMs. Similarly we have the ability to input the query through a voice interface, and we receive the keywords through a speech to text conversion engine we work with on the back end.

People often say, “the book was better than the movie,” and that may be one of the reasons that searches on Yahoo! this month forthe Hunger Games books are over 5 times higher than searches for the movie tickets.

Yahoo! searches for the second book in the trilogy, Catching Fire, are spiking this month; however searches for the third book, Mockingjay, are gaining almost twice the online buzz.

In the last month searches on Yahoo! for author, Suzanne Collins have spiked 58%, however they are still 45% lower than searches for Twilight author, Stephenie Meyer.

The Hunger Games vs. Vampires & Wizards: Curious if The Hunger Games will surpass the excitement associated with Twilight and Harry Potter? We decided to compare the online buzz around The Hunger Games to the latest Twilight and Harry Potter movies, looking specifically at the 30 days before the release of each film, and the results may surprise you.

According to Yahoo!, the top searched Hunger Games Actors this month are:

Fan Craze: From fashion trends to movie questions, Hunger Games fans are turning to Yahoo! to make sure the “odds are forever in [their] favor” that they’ll be the first ones to get the inside scoop on the anticipated film.

According to Yahoo!, the top Hunger Games fashion searches include:

Hunger Games nail polish

Hunger Games pins

Hunger Games apparel

Katniss braid

Hunger Games jewelry

According to Yahoo!, the top searched Hunger Games questions include:

When does The Hunger Games movie come out?

What is The Hunger Games about?

What is my Hunger Games district?

What happens at the end of The Hunger Games?

Why does President Snow smell like blood?

What is the next book after The Hunger Games?

Planning a story about The Hunger Games closer to the premiere on March 12 or the nationwide release on March 23? We are happy to pull additional data for you based upon the stories you have in the works. An example of additional data we can look into:

Yahoo! aggregates the billions of searches performed every day across Yahoo! properties to give the pulse on what people are thinking and talking about. We sift through billions of Yahoo! searches to uncover trends, burning questions, popular personalities and hot ideas. Yahoo! has been extremely successful in sifting through searches for trend-spotting, historical insight, forecasting projections, and big-picture analysis. Billions of searches are conducted on Yahoo! each month.

The Academy Awards are upon us and Yahoo! has collected data for the most popular nominee-related searches executed from January 1st to February 5th, 2012. Kicking off the data with Best Picture, ‘War Horse’ was the top searched Best Picture nominee on Yahoo!, with 80% more searches than the #2 ranked best film contender, ‘The Artist.’ It also got three times the number of searches than ‘The Tree of Life,’ ‘Hugo and Midnight in Paris’ combined. ‘War Horse’ received 17 times more searches than ‘The Tree of Life,’ the least searched-for flick.

“‘War Horse’ seems to be the fan favorite, but this is a competitive category,” said Thelma Adams, contributing editor for Yahoo! Movies. “‘Hugo’ has broad appeal, but at the end of the night I think ‘The Artist’ has the best shot this year. ‘The Help’ is also a frontrunner, but it is showing a little bit of weakness as it was not nominated for Best Adapted Screenplay.”

Many won’t be surprised at these findings: Brad Pitt is the top searched Best Actor in a Leading Role on Yahoo! followed by George Clooney. It’s not all American heartthrobs this year though. French actor, Jean Dujardin from ‘The Artist’ and Mexican actor, Demian Bechir from ‘A Better Life’ are also in the running.

According to Yahoo!, the top searched Actor in a Leading Role nominees are:

“Brad Pitt is winning when it comes to searches, but I don’t think ‘Moneyball’ is going to win him the Oscar this year,” says Adams. “Clooney, on the other hand, wants it and I think he will get it. And, if I just went for performances, I’d vote for Gary Oldman, who is such a complete chameleon.”

The youngsters are ruling Yahoo! searches this year when it comes to Best Actress in a Leading Role. Dark vixen, Rooney Mara from ‘The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo’ beat out Michelle Williams’ turn as classic beauty, Marilyn Monroe in ‘My Week with Marilyn’ when it comes to Yahoo! searches, and Mara scored three times the number of searches on Yahoo! compared to her fellow nominee, Glenn Close.

According to Yahoo!, the top searched nominees for an Actress in a Leading Role:

“This will be a close call, and not for Mara, my vote is Viola Davis, just barely edging out Meryl Streep.”

Comics rule when it comes to Yahoo! searches in the Best Supporting Actor/Actress category. Jonah Hill came in at #1 on Yahoo! for most searched Best Actor in a Supporting Role nominees and Melissa McCarthy represented the #1 searched spot on Yahoo! for Best Actress in a Supporting Role.

And, if drama does rule the awards show, one of the leading ladies from ‘The Help’ may take home the coveted statue? Octavia Spencer has almost 3 times the number of searches on Yahoo! compared to her co-star and fellow nominee, Jessica Chastain.

According to Yahoo!, the top searched nominees for an Actor in a Supporting Role:

“In this case, I happen to agree with the public interest,” says Adams. “No one else has a chance against Octavia Spencer in ‘The Help.’ It’s a lock.”

When it comes to directors there’s no beating the old favorites. Woody Allenis the #1 most searched directing nominee on Yahoo! for ‘Midnight in Paris’ followed by Martin Scorsese for ‘Hugo’ and ‘The Descendants’ director, Alexander Payne. Amazingly since January 1st, Woody Allen has received over 50 times the number of searches on Yahoo! compared to his fellow nominee, ‘Tree of Life’ director Terrence Malick.

More fun data from Yahoo! Search:

– Must Love Dogs: Since he charmed the masses at The Golden Globes last month, ‘The Artist’s’ canine actor Uggie has had a massive popularity spike in search on Yahoo!. In the last three weeks, he alone has logged half as many searches on Yahoo! as the film itself.

As the nation awaits Super Bowl 46, people are heading to Yahoo! to get the inside scoop on one of the most popular sporting events of the year! Yahoo! searches this week for “Indianapolis Super Bowl 2012” are up 1,743%.

Who Will Win? If online searches were an indicator of who might win this year’s Super Bowl, the Patriots would come out on top – the New England Patriots had 50% more searches this year on Yahoo! compared to the New York Giants.

Brady vs. Manning: Whether it’s his endorsement with UGG or his relationship with Gisele Bundchen, Tom Brady has dominated searches this year compared to his NY Giants counterpart, Eli Manning. Yahoo! searches this NFL season for “Tom Brady” have been two times higher than searches for “Eli Manning.” Additional Brady vs. Manning searches on Yahoo!:

In the regular season, Tom Brady got four times the number of searches on Yahoo! compared to Eli Manning.

Since the post-season play has begun, Eli Manning has received slightly more searches on Yahoo! than Tom Brady.

Ladies Love Manning: This month on Yahoo!, women are certainly buzzing more for Eli compared to Tom. Yahoo! searches by women for “Eli Manning” this month are up 268%. And, speaking of love, the players’ love lives are certainly a topic of interest this month on Yahoo!: Searches this month on Yahoo! for “Eli Manning girlfriend” are up 1,201% and searches for “Eli Manning wedding” are up 308%.

Yahoo! searches this month for “Bill Belichick” are up 730% and searches for “Tom Coughlin” are up 550%.

Offense vs. Defense: Does defense really win the game or is it more of a team effort? When it comes to Yahoo! searches for players, offense gets just as much search play as defense.This year, Rob Gronkowski received over four times the searches on Yahoo! compared to Hakeem Nicks.

Kids Rush to Search: Of the searches for “Ahmad Bradshaw” this week on Yahoo!, 27% are coming from kids aged 13-17; however compared to “Brandon Jacobs,” this is a small percentage. Of the searches for “Brandon Jacobs” this week on Yahoo!, 52% are coming from kids ages 13-17.

Super Bowl Questions: From game time to point spreads, each year, people turn to Yahoo! for all of their Super Bowl related questions. Some of this year’s most searched questions on Yahoo! include:

Q: When is the Super Bowl 2012? A: Sunday, February 5, 2012Q: What time is the Super Bowl? A: 6:30 p.m. EST (kickoff) Q: Who is playing in the Super Bowl 2012? A: New England Patriots vs. New York GiantsQ: Who will win Super Bowl 2012? A: We’ll just have to wait and see!Q: Where is Super Bowl 2012? A: Lucas Oil Stadium; Indianapolis, INQ: Who is singing the national anthem at the Super Bowl? A: Kelly Clarkson

The Fun Behind the Bowl: From parties and friendly wagers to commercial hype and half-time performances, for many Americans, the Super Bowl is about more than a football game – it’s about having fun!

Half-time Performers: Although Madonna will rule the half-time stage at the Super Bowl, searches for Nicki Minaj, who is also reported to be performing, this week on Yahoo! are slightly greater than those for Madonna. This year on Yahoo!, Nicki Minaj received 45% more searches than Madonna.

Dipping Into the Fun: Super Bowl parties typically start early in the day and continue well after the final whistle, and oftentimes involve snacking throughout the day. The snack favorite for many people? Dips!

Cooking Up a Win: In addition to dips, many people turn to Yahoo! to find a new recipe for the Super Bowl – searches this week for “Super Bowl recipes” are up 210%, with 70% of the searches coming from women. The top states searching for “Super Bowl recipes” this week on Yahoo! include: Missouri, Michigan, New York, New Jersey, and Florida.

Quick Tip: On Yahoo! Recipe Search (recipes.search.yahoo.com), once you land on the search results page you can filter by “occasion” on the left side of the page and “Super Bowl” is a filter option. For example, the “Chicken recipe” search results filtered by Superbowl can be found here!

Commercial Laughs: Whether you’re a football fan or not, it’s likely that on Sunday you’ll at least spend some time scoping out the commercials. Searches this week on Yahoo! for “2012 Super Bowl commercials” are up 732%. From Bueller to Beckham, this is the one time when most Americans will be glued to their seats during the commercials.

With all of the excitement around the Honda commercial that riffs off of Matthew Broderick’s famed role in Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, searches for the movie this week on Yahoo! are up 1,274%. Also of interest this week on Yahoo!: “Ferris Bueller commercial,” “Ferris Bueller quotes,” and “Ferris Bueller soundtrack.”

Friendly Wager Anyone?: Yahoo! searches this week for “Super Bowl point spread” are up 591% and “2012 Super Bowl odds” are up 432%. Also, searches for “Super Bowl 2012 predictions” are up 836%. Of the searches for “Super Bowl bets” this month on Yahoo!, 78% are coming from men.

Yahoo! aggregates the billions of searches performed every day across Yahoo! properties to give the pulse on what people are thinking and talking about. We sift through billions of Yahoo! searches to uncover trends, burning questions, popular personalities and hot ideas. Yahoo! has been extremely successful in sifting through searches for trend-spotting, historical insight, forecasting projections, and big-picture analysis. Billions of searches are conducted on Yahoo! each month.

As all of you know, the mobile space moves incredibly fast. Our users are changing, and their needs are changing. New devices and new technologies are coming to market seemingly every day, not to mention the rate at which app stores are growing. All of us are looking for the freshest, most interesting apps and content all day, every day.

At Yahoo!, we’re focused on creating deeply personal digital experiences and there’s no doubt that one of the biggest, if not the biggest, priorities for us is to bring those products and ideas to the mobile user, whether they’re using feature phones, smartphones or tablets.

We’ve got some amazing mobile experiences, from News, Sports and Finance, to Mail, Messenger and entirely new products like IntoNow and Livestand. Our commitment is to deliver these products in ways that help all of our users (and advertisers) enjoy engaging and seamless experiences across all the devices they use.

Our plan is to keep moving, to keep innovating, and to continuously measure and scrutinize what’s working and what isn’t – so we can make room for great new products. In that spirit, today we’re decommissioning several of our current mobile apps. We will be sending a notification later today that thefollowing apps will no longer be supported:

We’re moving forward with a “mobile first” mindset. You can expect to see more new Yahoo! mobile products in 2012, especially in areas ripe for innovation that build on Yahoo!’s strengths, such as companion experiences for TV like IntoNow, new ways to experience personalized media like Livestand, and some of our most popular and useful mobile apps like Yahoo! Mail, Messenger, Sportacular and Flickr, which are already being used by millions of people around the world. And we’ll be building these experiences with disruptive technology that’s going to change the mobile game well beyond Yahoo!.

For apps such as AppSpot and Sketch-a-Search, we decided to integrate the key features you know and love into the Yahoo! Search app. For example, we recently announced the app search feature in the Yahoo! Search app for iPhone. Stay tuned for moreupdates to the mobile search apps for both iPhone and Android.

With more than 700 million users around the world, we’ve got a huge and growing audience. We’re going to bring them the Yahoo! they love on every device in their life.

Stay tuned for a lot of action from Yahoo this year. 2012 has just begun and we’re just getting started.